Structural, management changes at Toyo Tires
Toyo Tire Corporation has announced changes to its organisational structure as well as key personnel appointments. All take effect 1 July 2024.
Toyo Tire Corporation has announced changes to its organisational structure as well as key personnel appointments. All take effect 1 July 2024.
Toyo Tires is set to compete in the second and sixth rounds of the FIA World Bajas Cup, Baja Greece and Qatar International Baja. For Baja Greece, which takes place between 22 and 25 May, Akira Miura, Toyo Tires’ Open Country Ambassador, will be at the helm of a Toyota Hilux prepared by Overdrive Racing. Miura will also pilot the vehicle in the Qatar International Baja, which will be held between 31 October and 2 November.
Cars equipped with Toyo Proxes slick race tyres containing sustainable materials have own two of first four Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie races. The Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVOs of team Toyo Tires with Ring Racing were victorious in the first rounds of the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie in the SP10 class as well as in 24H Nürburgring Qualifier races.
Toyo Tire Corporation should have no complaints about 2023, at least when looking at the company’s key financial figures. The Japanese firm has announced an 11.2 per cent year-on-year increase in net sales, to 552.8 billion yen (£2.9 billion). Operating income rose 74.6 per cent year-on-year, to 76.9 billion yen (£406.3 million) with a group-wide profit margin of 13.9 per cent.
Toyo Tire Corporation has appointed Koichi Inoue general manager of its Asia & Oceania Sales Division, effective 1 April 2024. Inoue joins the tyre maker from Mitsubishi Auto Leasing Corporation, where he served as the division’s chief executive.
Toyo Tire Corporation has announced changes related to its business within Europe. Effective 1 February, the company is “constructively” dissolving its International Production Division’s Europe Project Development Department. Meanwhile, Takanori Murase will become the new General Manager of Toyo Tire Corporation’s Europe, Sales Department and Sales Division for the Africa & Middle East region, effective 1 April 2024.
At this month’s Tokyo Auto salon, Toyo Tires presented a concept tyre that utilises 90 per cent sustainable materials. Prior to this Sustainable Concept Tyre, the highest ever usage rate of sustainable materials in a Toyo tyre was 50 per cent, as seen in the Open Country MT/R tyres that have seen action in the 2024 Dakar Rally. The tyre maker thus considers the new concept, which “dramatically surpasses this share,” a “step forward towards a more viable future mobility.”
Toyo Tires won the Grand Prize in the uprated SUV category for the Subaru Legacy Boost Gear Package it exhibited at Tokyo Auto Salon 2024.
Toyo Tires has rung in the New Year with several management changes. As of 1 January 2024, Ralf Gutena succeeds Kenta Kuribayashi as president of Toyo Tire Deutschland GmbH. Gutena remains director of sales and marketing at the company’s European head office, Toyo Tire Holdings of Europe GmbH. Kuribayashi continues in his remit as president of Toyo Tire Holdings of Europe GmbH.
The CEOs of 10 leading tyre manufacturers have gathered to confirm a two-year Tire Industry Project (TIP) workplan focused on “sustainability in the tyre lifecycle”. The plans includes targets relating to tyre-emission research and end-of-life tyre management amongst other points.
Toyo Tires has extended its all-terrain tyre range for North America to include a tyre aimed at electric trucks and SUVs. The tyre maker designed and is manufacturing the Toyo Open Country A/T III EV in the USA and plans to offer “a wide range of unique sizes and high-load combinations for 18- to 24-inch wheel diameters.” No word from Toyo so far about a UK or European launch.
Bryce Menzies has won the Baja 400 for the third consecutive year in his Toyo Tires equipped Trophy Truck. Menzies previously claimed the Baja 500 and Mexican 1000 Races in 2023. Toyo-equipped trucks won all three trophy truck classes: Gustavo Vildósola Sr secured another victory in the Trophy Truck Legends class, while Jason McNeil claimed top spot in the Trophy Truck Spec class. These successes translate into a commanding lead in championship points across all three Trophy Truck categories this season. Each driver is now poised to begin the upcoming SCORE Baja 1000 race in November from pole position.
Toyo Tires is installing a 14.0 MW solar power plant at its Toyo Tire Malaysia SDN BHD (TTM) tyre factory. According to Toyo representatives, TTM “mega-solar system” will be the largest in the state of Perak, Malaysia when work on the 96,000-square-metre rooftop space of the factory building is completed.
Toyo Tire Corporation has appointed Hiroaki Takizawa general manager of its Europe, Africa & Middle East Sales Department and Sales Division. Takizawa joins the company on 1 September, succeeding Masaomi Kono in these roles.
Toyo Tire Corporation will end the manufacture of non-tyre automotive parts at its subsidiary in the USA. The cessation of production at Toyo Automotive Parts (USA), Inc. will take effect on 31 October 2023, and the company will be dissolved as a business entity. The closure of the Franklin, Kentucky-based business affects (as of June 2023) 207 employees.
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